Another month, another new special release from Kentucky’s Woodford Reserve. This new one is the latest in the Master’s Collection, and it’s something very different from the bourbon the distillery is known for—it’s a blend of different styles of whiskey, some of which were finished in Madeira wine casks.
The Master’s Collection is an annual release from the distillery that first arrived in 2006 with the launch of a four grain bourbon. Since then, there have been about 20 other entries in the series, each with a different mashbill, cask finish, or blending concept. The most recent was last year’s Sonoma Triple Finish, a bourbon finished in pinot noir wine casks, brandy barrels, and another set of bourbon barrels. The fall 2024 Master’s Collection release follows suit in terms of concept, blending the different types of whiskeys that are distilled at Woodford into something completely new, and using some interesting barrels to imbue the liquid with new flavors.
“Madeira Cask Finish is a tremendous way to celebrate 20 years of the Master’s Collection,” said master distiller Elizabeth McCall in a statement. “In 2007, Woodford Reserve was among the first bourbons to finish in wine casks. It was quite controversial at the time, but is now a common practice by other distillers.” The details of the new Master’s Collection release are as follows. First, McCall took Woodford’s bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskeys and finished them in Madeira casks. For those who are unfamiliar, Madeira is a sweet fortified wine that is made on the Madeira Islands, a part of Portugal that is located off the coast of Africa. Those cask-finished whiskeys were blended with Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey, which was not given a secondary maturation, to enhance the fruit notes. We have not had a chance to try the whiskey, but official tasting notes describe cherry and brown sugar on the nose, followed by dried dark fruits like raisin and cranberries, walnut, and baking spice on the palate. The final blend was bottled at 90.4 proof, just like the bourbon.
Woodford Reserve Madeira Cask Finish is available now to purchase at the distillery in Versailles, Ky. for $180 per bottle, as well as from specialty retailers around the country. You can also find past Master’s Collection releases available to purchase now from websites like ReserveBar, but expect to pay more than the original price for which they were listed.
